Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Genk: Late Ballack goal seals first group win for Germans

Bayer Leverkusen defeated Genk 2-0 at the BayArena to record their first win of the Champions League group stages.

A first-half Lars Bender goal and an injury-time clincher from Michael Ballack sealed the points for the Germans, who survived a late aerial bombardment from the Belgians to claim the win.

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Leverkusen controlled the opening exchanges, and should have had a goal on 13 minutes, Andre Schurrle hoofing the ball over from five yards out after good work by Renato Agusto on the right flank.

However, after continued pressure, the hosts eventually found the opener on the half-hour mark. Jose Nadson thought that he averted danger when he dispossessed Stefan Kiessling in the area, but the ball found its way to Bender, who hammered it into the back of the net.

Five minutes later, Genk found an opening, and Omer Toprak had to be alert to make a crucial block from Jelle Vossen’s cutback. However, Leverkusen were soon back on the offensive, Schurrle bending the ball wide from just outside the area before Renato Agusto forced Laszlo Koteles to divert his effort around the post.

Leverkusen came out in the second-half searching for the crucial second goal, and almost found it just past the hour mark. Schurrle did brilliantly to dance his way past four Genk defenders in the box, but his low finish was denied by the legs of Koteles.

As the second half wore on with the score remaining at 1-0, Genk grew in confidence and increasingly began to pump the ball into the box in search of an equalizer. One such sequence almost bore fruit in the 77th minute when Marvin Ogunijimi got his head to Elianiv Barda’s cross, but Leno produced a great save to keep his side in the lead.

However despite a few nervy moments, Leverkusen dealt well with the aerial threat of the Belgians, and finally found the clinching second goal as the clock moved into injury time.

A long ball into the box was headed down into the path of Ballack, who touched it off his chest and struck a deflected effort past Koteles. There was still time for substitute Eren Derdiyok to send a free kick just past the post as Leverkusen went on to claim victory.